Dallas Stars Blog

Clarifying Versus interview and Brad Richards’ contract situation

I have not been able to see video of the interview I did on Versus Monday night, but it apparently has caused some commotion.

In talking about Brad Richards’ contract situation, I put out several opinions, including the fact that if I was his agent, I would certainly consider free agency very strongly because I do believe he could get a huge contract. I then said (at least I think I said) that if the lenders who own the Stars wanted to stick with the $45 million budget that it would be nearly impossible to sign Richards.

I thought I talked about the fact that they already have $5 million in raises going to the current players who are already signed for next year, and that would make it impossible to sign Richards if they did not decide to up the budget. That seems to have been taken that I don’t believe they can sign Richards. That’s not true. If they get a new owner or if the lenders decide to increase the budget for next season, then they can get creative and find a way to keep Richards.

In talking to Richards and his agent Pat Morris today about Richards’ Tuesday night poker fund-raiser (we’ll have more on that later), both wanted to make it clear that their side has made no demands on salary or term and that the two sides have not talked at all about a possible contract extension.

Richards and Morris are just as anxious to get the ownership situation resolved (or the interim president in place) so that they can have some sort of talks about a contract extension.